Dealer Garage keeps every enquiry as a lead with a status (New, Contacted, Qualified, Test drive, Negotiation, Won, Lost or Archived), a source, a priority and the vehicle of interest. You can drag leads across a board, see a badge for unopened ones and schedule follow-ups in the calendar. Manual leads are free; automatic sync from listing sites needs Basic.
The pipeline
| Status | Typical meaning |
|---|---|
| New | Just arrived, nobody has replied |
| Contacted | You have replied or called |
| Qualified | A real buyer with a real interest |
| Test drive | Appointment booked or done |
| Negotiation | Talking numbers |
| Won | Sold; carries into a deal |
| Lost | Went elsewhere |
| Archived | Out of the active board |
Sources and priority
Each lead records where it came from (website, walk-in, phone, email, referral or other) and a priority. The dashboard turns this into a view of which sources actually produce buyers. See dashboard and reports.
Never miss a new one
- The Leads item in the sidebar shows a badge with the number of unopened leads, and the dashboard's Today at a Glance strip lists them.
- Appointments and follow-ups go in the calendar; see appointments and calendar.
- Leads link to customers and vehicles, so the history is in one place.
Free and Basic
Adding leads by hand is in the free plan. Pulling leads from listing sites by email and from your online forms is part of Basic. See lead sync.
A lead from first message to sold
- A message arrives about a CR-V and appears as a New lead with the vehicle attached.
- You call and move it to Contacted, then Qualified when they confirm interest.
- You book a test drive in the calendar and the lead moves to Test drive.
- Numbers are discussed: Negotiation. They buy: Won, and the deal is built from the lead.
- If they go elsewhere, mark it Lost and note why.
What to review weekly
- New leads that nobody has answered.
- Leads in Negotiation for more than a week.
- Which sources produce Won leads; see the dashboard.
Questions people ask
Can I import leads from a spreadsheet?
You can add leads by hand, and Basic brings them in from email and online forms.
Does a lead turn into a customer?
Yes. A lead is linked to a customer record, and a won lead leads into a deal.
Try Dealer Garage
Dealer Garage is installable dealer management software for independent used-car dealers in the US and Canada: inventory, leads, deals, dealer paperwork, Facebook Marketplace posting and email campaigns, with records stored on the dealership's own computer..